Above and Beyond Wonderland
by Shellyluvstoread
Summary: How the story of Jervis Tetch and Alice Pleasant went after the credits!
1. Chapter 1

_**The way I think their first meeting should have gone…**_

_**Challenge #1: Introduction…**_

"Here, Miss Pleasance is where you will be working for the time you're with us."

I surveyed the space that I had been assigned to with interest. It was a great deal larger than my previous job's desk, and not even a cubicle to worry about tipping over (I was forever fretting about such trivial accidents)! There was a closed door from which I could hear paper being crumpled behind. A strangely comforting sound to me for some reason.

"The coffee machine is in the lounge and-ah, this is your…boss." I wondered why she spat out the last word as if it were laced with poison. But never mind that, I had been eager to see the man that I had been hired to 'look after' as Cates put it.

I eagerly whirled round to see a man in his mid thirties stride out of the door next to my desk. He had a kind face, with gently tanned skin and extremely light blonde hair. I immediately felt at ease around him, as a breath taking smile was shot at me.

The smile disappeared, however, when his light blue eyes came to rest on Dr. Cates. I secretly couldn't blame him, the uptight person was making me feel uncomfortable and she hadn't even yelled at me…yet.

"You wanted to see me Dr. Cates?" he asked flatly, a slight southern English accent just recognizable.

"Yes, this is your new secretary, Ms. Alice Pleasance…and I came to see what you had lined up for Mr. Wayne's evaluation again."

His eyes seemed to brighten as he took in the first bit of the sentence, but then he flinched as he was apparently not ready at all for the important deadline.

Cates noticed this and narrowed her already beady eyes. "If you don't have anything ready it will be your head!"

"If you didn't keep such a close eye on me then perhaps I could get a bloody thing done!"

At this statement she glanced over at me, obviously editing a few things out, and muttered so that only I could hear; "Don't let him out of your sight!" and with this, huffed out of the room.

I could make out a mutter that had something to do with a Jabberwocky before his gaze shifted to me.

He grinned at me again and just like that, the suffocating tension was gone.

"Your first name is Alice…like the book." He commented softly.

"Book?" I puzzled, not having the slightest idea of what he was talking about.

"Yes, Alice in Wonderland"

"Oh…yes I guess so." It was not the first time the particular association had been pointed out, but having never read the book; it hadn't really caught on with me

He blushed and looked down at the floor. He was charming, in an awkward sort of way. The kind of attitude that a little boy would have while handing a flower to his first crush.

"I-if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." He walked back into the room and left me there to get organized. I could hear the scratching of pencil on paper through the now left open door. I smiled to myself as I was sitting down to my typewriter.

I could tell I was going to like this job a lot better than the last.

_**^_^ I did this at 5:34 AM, so please be a bit forgiving.**_


	2. KO

_**It's short, I know (I'm talking extremely short), and I'm sorry it has taken this long to put something up, but school is like a sponge it makes me so tired! The next one shall be longer hopefully ;)**_

I had foretold that I was going to like this job, and a few weeks had proven that I had been quite right. Jervis was probably the sweetest man I had ever had the pleasure of meeting, and the dearest friend I had gotten in a while. This is how my workday usually went; I would come in at seven thirty and set to work typing some notes fresh in this morning. After about two and a half hours, Jervis would walk out and ask me for morning tea in his office. This was the time where I would start waking up.

When the cups were empty, he'd let me take dictation. I say "let" because he didn't really need it, but I wanted too. His voice seemed to soothe the kinks of hunching over a typewriter all morning just the way it seemed to layer upon each sentence without a notch of any kind.

After about a page or so I'd run some copies off and on the first day this proved to be the hardest part of my job. I set off to the third floor (we were the only ones on the fourth) and was promptly pinched, slapped and altogether molested…until Jervis found out.

"_What in Wonderland are you doing?" he asked the guy, Marvin, I believe he was called._

"_What does it look like I'm doing Tetch? I'm checking out the typing skills of your secretary; don't tell me you haven't noticed."_

_When I turned back around to see where the thunk had come from and found Jervis jogging to catch up with me. A crowd was gathering a few cubicles back._

"_What happened back there?"_

_His face took on a way-too-innocent look and lead me away hastily as he answered.  
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"_Someone just passed out cold; he's going to be all right."_

I hadn't figured what had taken place until the harassment stopped the next day.

Then next order of business was to sit around and be bored until lunch where Jervis and I would go to the little café about a mile away. After that we would usually get back to work with whatever was presented to us until it was time to go. Jervis would then give me a ride home. It was absolutely perfect and I was content for thing to stay as they were…that was until I started dating Billy.


	3. A Terrible Breakup

_**I'm sorry but this chapter (and perhaps the next few) shall only tell the episode out of Alice's POV…it's part of the story so it's mandatory :/I hope you enjoy it anyway I don't own anything from Batman OR Alice in Wonderland (may the need arise).**_

Jervis was always in his office ever since Billy came into my life. It was now him I had lunch with and because of that, I hardly knew whether Jervis came out of his hole at all these days. It was always so quiet in there I wondered if he was doing anything at all. And it was this is what brought me to nerves the day that Bruce Wayne came in for inspection.

The pair of Mr. Wayne and Dr. Cates came barreling in the door, Cates more of the 'barreler' than the milder Mr. Wayne.

"Is Tetch in?" snapped Dr. Cates, green eyes shining rather of lust for Wayne than anything else.

I glanced to Mr. Wayne nervously before nodding at the redhead.

They started towards the door and I quickly stood up, thinking fast.

"I-I'll go check." I said, shoving my way in front of them and knocking quickly. Instead of waiting for the answer that would have normally come in a few seconds anyway I opened it and power walked hissing his name, to where Jervis was standing flabbergasted, holding something behind his back. He had the deer caught in the headlights look which made me even more uneasy.

"A-Alice," he stammered, sounding quite as if he had been walking in upon while doing something wrong. He glanced up shyly while fixing his hair "w-what a nice surprise."

I pretended not to notice the drawer he slammed shut with his hip and looked behind me, my arms waving for him to be quiet. "Yeah, yeah! Look busy! U-uh Dr. Cates, Mr. Wayne right this way!"

They barely gave me a glance while walking right past my broad grin. I smirked and tiptoed out of the room, not wanting to be a part of the tornado that always seemed to twist into his office whenever Dr. Cates was around.

I closed the door and sat down at my typewriter, trying not to listen through the thin walls. I stared at the picture of me and Billy to pass the time, wondering what was going on with him lately.

Billy and I…had a strange if not stressful relationship. He would maybe meet me for lunch and I would hardly talk to him until the next time he was free. I couldn't help thinking to myself:

'If I had a penny for every time I wondered…' no, he wouldn't cheat on me.

'But that might be why he can't take the relationship seriously" I argued.

'Oh hush, I told almost as much of my soul to him as Jervis, no one would be that cruel!' I sighed and almost laughed at the way I was going on with myself. I gave myself very good advice you see, but I very seldom followed it.

The door open and Wayne came out with Dr. Cates lingering in the room. I tipped my head over sideways, the ever present grin now back on my face to see what was happening.

"You got off easy this time Tetch but if you slip up again, heads could roll!" with this said she promptly marched off towards the door. I snapped my head back in place and pretended to be typing; with no paper of course (it's the only way to type). I watched out of the corner of my eye as she stalked off out of sight.

Jervis came out of the office, a very down look berating his normally pleasant features. I instantaneously felt sorry for him.

"She's always like that when the big boss drops by," I soothed. "Cheer up! Mr. Wayne knows what you mean to the company." His face brightened a bit at this and relief filled my chest. I never liked it when people were unhappy.

"Sometimes Alice, I think you're the only one who understands me." He sounded a little hoarse for some reason. But I let it slide, if he gets sick again my chicken soup always made him feel so much better. In hopes of cheering him up even more I laughed.

"That's just what my boyfriend says!" I chuckled. Instead of making him laugh however, he now looked slightly angry.

Backtracking quickly I said "I guess I'm just lucky to have two such amazing men in my life" I slung my purse over my shoulder and waved goodbye. "See you after lunch!"

Even if I missed my lunches with Jervis, any time I could see Billy had to be snatched. He was so busy with that collaboration he was doing with Wayne Enterprises that it was the only time we had gotten in the past few days. But I was going to ask him today! I simply _had_ to know where this relationship was going.

I sat at our usual table and ordered some tea with lemon. After about ten minutes of looking at my watch he arrived, panting.

"Sorry I'm late Alice, I just had to…sorry"

I grinned at him. At least he had shown up.

"It's fine Billy!" I rose up to give him a quick peck but apparently he had different plans, sinking right away into the chair facing me.

I sat down as well, a little disgruntled but not planning on being mad today, I pushed it aside.

"So where were you?"I asked, sipping my tea.

Refusing to look at me, he said "Do you know where the waiters are, I'm starved!"

"They might have slipped off to the back I think…" I took a deep breath and threw it all out there in a final attempt to catch his attention.

"Billy, where do you see us going in the near future?"

The look he gave me could have made Tarzan flinch.

"What the hell are you talking about" he snarled. I shrunk back, hoping to sink into the floor

"W-well I just thought-"

"You thought wrong!" he yelped "If you think this is going any farther we might as well just break it off now!" people were starting to stare and I was rapidly getting fed up!

Well maybe I do!" I screamed back."Maybe I never want to see you again you horrible leech!"

Wham! His fist hit the table, making his rum spill all over the cloth. "Get the hell out of my sight you ugly bitch!"

The floor seemed to waver under my standing form as his last words hit me like a wall of bricks. I had told him my looks were one of my insecurities, why had he used it against me?

"Fine then…" I gave him one final slap across his face and tears streaming down my cheeks, called a cab back to the office.

As soon as I got back to my desk the rose and picture went into the empty trash bucket. I lit the cigarette lighter that I kept for these emergencies. I watched at the flames licked up the last remaining string of sanity I could think of at the moment and cried.

Suddenly realizing where I was, I shuffled into the lounge where Dr. Cates was fixing a pot of coffee. She looked up at me and her body stiffened.

Whenever I tried to stifle my sobs they only came out harder and louder! Dr. Cates looked almost like she was experiencing an emotion other than severity for the first time since we had met. She sat me in a chair and stood over me leaning on the back.

"What happened?" she asked solemnly.

"I just wanted to talk about where our relationship was going and Billy got so defensive!"

Cates growled in understanding. "Classic male fear of commitment…"

I managed to force out one more sentence before I completely broke down

"The next thing I knew we were shouting, screaming, saying we never wanted to see each other again." now that it was over I could see right before my eyes how perfect Billy had been, what I had just lost. How his face dimpled at everything, how his eyes sparkled, what his kisses felt like. This was not helping matters at all but the images kept on coming.

That night I curled up into a ball wondering how I was ever going to find someone to be with when I was just so imperfect…unlike Billy. I had to stop thinking somehow! I dreamt of strange things that night, of fishing without water, of brushing hair without having any to brush. I must be going mad. A slight voice and bright blue eyes seemed to echo in my head right before I woke up.

"We're all mad here."

_**=_= I think it's a bit choppy.**_


	4. A Terrible Week to Say the Least

_**This story will take on it's own plot soon enough people, soon enough. I don't own either Batman or Alice in Wonderland ;3**_

"You know, Alice in Wonderland was always my favorite story."

Jervis was sitting on a massive mushroom, his body curled up next to the blue caterpillar holding a hookah that was most likely three times his size, and telling me of…just conversational topics. Which I was fine with as the mood was very relaxed in the children's park. We had been sitting there for about half an hour and the cold hadn't bothered me once.

"Do you remember to mock turtle's song?" he got up from the spotted plastic fungus and to my surprise started twirling around in a sort of waltz.

"Will you won't you will you won't you, wont you join the dance?" he held his hand out to me and as if by a magnet, my hand snapped into his palm.

He spun me and twirled me, and after a while I was starting to feel like a ballerina in a child's music box. It wasn't a bad feeling though. His embrace was warm and surprisingly inviting. The only bad thing was the tug coming back, stronger this time as I met his gaze. Those clear, strikingly blue irises went through me as if shot by a bow and I felt myself leaning into his dance more and more until our faces were inches apart. Something held me back from going any farther however a jerking behind my nasal and my feet stopped in the strange position they were in at the time so that Jervis had to hold me up to keep me from toppling over.

"I-I think it's getting late. I need to be getting back."

His face showed signs of disappointment and regret, but he kept the grin plastered on his face as he led me out to the cab.

When getting back to my apartment I was almost falling asleep on Jervis's shoulder and clung to it ardently as he walked me to the door. Something had changed between us, and I knew in my gut that I liked it.

"Thank you for a wonderful time, you're a terrific friend!"

'And maybe something more.' An annoying little voice murmured in the back of my head.

He took me by the hand and kissed my knuckles like a true gentleman should. I walked up the stairs with my hips swinging anew with an attitude I wished was mine all the time. It was like a great burden had been lifted from my shoulders and I could have floated through the door…if not for a bit of an obstruction on the other side.

"Alice?" my face turned from airy disbelief to one of horror as I came face to face with the dimples of-

"Billy?" he bent his head and I followed his gaze to a single rose he held in his hand, my favorite flower as he well knew.

"Baby, I'm sorry. Can we talk?" he glanced up from between those long lashes of his and something went off in my brain that we could talk on the moon as long as we were together. I opened my door and ushered him inside, not giving a second thought to the man that had just shown me the best evening of my life.

The next morning at the office, things were back to normal. The picture of Billy and I was us and so was the fresh new rose that he had given to me last night. I was just coming back in my office from a pit stop to find Jervis standing there with a look of half shock on his face.

"Oh Jervis!" I ran up to give him a hug immediately, hardly noticing his stony figure. "Thanks so much for cheering me up last night! Listen, I have the most incredible news, Billy was there after yu dropped me off last night he apologized, I forgave him and then," and this was the part I had been aching to gush about, "he gave me this!" I held out my left hand and let the diamond on my ring finger sparkle and shine in the light. I felt a sense of pride every time I had shown anybody; I had even shown the guy at Starbucks having been so excited.

"I'm getting married!" ah the line that I had repeated for eight hours straight this morning alone.

My attention was distracted as a drop of blood landed on the picture on my desk. "Jervis, your hand!" he turned away and stalked into his laboratory muttering it's nothing, nothing. Forget it.

I would have been suspicious if not for the truly barmy mood that was radiating off of me. He had no longer closed the door when Dr. Cates stormed in, not even bothering to say hello.

They left about five minutes later, Cates looking a bit dazed. I wondered what had happened but I brushed it off, seeing as Jervis seemed in a better mood than a few minutes before.

I went on typing, taking a few second to look at my ring a few second between each line. Thirty minutes passed and Brue Wayne himself walked in. I was about to rattle off about my ring but luckily he stopped me from making a fool of myself.

"Excuse me Alice; have you seen Martha or Jervis Tetch?"

"Oh they left together about a half an hour ago." He seemed puzzled at my response for some reason. Then the phone rang. I glanced at the clock and saw that Billy was supposed to call around this time, so I hurriedly picked up the receiver.

"Hello?" Just the voice I wanted to hear came out of the earpiece.

"Hey baby, it's me."

I beamed and answered. "Hey sweetie!" I covered up the speaker and whispered to Mr. Wayne, no longer able to hold myself back. "My fiancée."

"Congratulations." He sat on the edge of my desk and looked at the picture of Billy and me.

"Alice…I'm sorry."

"Billy? Billy what's wrong? You sound so-"

"I'm sorry Alice, I can't do this anymore."

I could feel my heart hatching in two again. "What? But why? Billy? Billy!" Only dial tone heard me.

"Excuse me Mr. Wayne...I think I need a minute alone!" was all I could get out before I completely broke down again. It felt like something, a kind of liquid was literally pouring out from my heart. I should have never trusted him to begin with; I should have stayed with Jervis. But I didn't and now they were both gone doing who knows what, without me. Forever alone.

I think Wayne felt sorry for me, so he gave me the night off. Nothing seemed to go my way this week at all. So I dragged my sorry arse up the front steps and slipped into my apartment.

When opening the door I was bombarded with the most beautiful array of flower I had ever seen. They were scattered everywhere, some haphazardly and some in large jars and vases.

I wandered about, looking about at the beautiful arrangement of flowers. I went over next to my bedroom door and saw a particularly strange breed, one that I hadn't seen before. I plucked a few and up with it came Jervis's head, top hat and all.


	5. Books and Nuts

So strange. So dazed. So alone.

These were some of the only thoughts running through my controlled brain.

Needed someone. Needed someone to love, to hug, to go to when so sad and alone like this.

No one would be with me. No one would even take a second glance at me.

I could feel some things…like exertion when I ran. But other than that it felt like I was in some type of dream. And unfortunately, a dream where I could think.

Billy had left me, twice. And that, in my opinion, was twice too many. Jervis however had been a perfect gentleman. You could ask me why I was deciding between those two in particular but I would have been clueless. Somehow it had always come down to Jervis, no matter what had happened. Billy could hurt me a thousand times and I would come back to him for some reason.

I was pondering over just this question when something in my mind snapped out of it. I blinked as my head cleared and coldness washed over my body, I heard someone call my name.

"Alice?" Screw everything I needed a hug right now and I didn't care who gave it to me. So I wrapped my arms around the first form I could feel. Billy. I looked to the side and saw Jervis underneath what looked a giant…piñata?

I squirmed away from Billy, wanting to help him but the other male held me fast. Tears filled my eyes as I took in Jervis's face…so full of hurt, so lonely. Like I had been before making my final decision.

No more Billy.

**Jervis AU:**

Gracious this had all gotten out of hand so quickly! Here I was, on the way to Arkham and for what, trying to win back Alice? Alice…the way her hair fell past her shoulders, the sounds of her laugh how her eyes sparkled when they had danced…but no! No more thoughts could be of her! It was her fault that he was going to the asylum…wasn't it? Or was it Batman's? Too many thoughts in too little time, for then we rolled up to Arkham's gates.

"We're escorting a prisoner in." was all the driver had to say before the massive things swung open.

My first impression was that I didn't belong here, the nuts like Joker did. Well, I suppose I was considered a nut now. I wondered how I was going to get along with all the inmates here.

'You're talking nonsense!' I argued with myself, 'this isn't a place for socializing, quite the contrary indeed!' Then I sighed and recited to my lonesome;

"I give myself very good advice but I very seldom follow it."

Next thing I was aware of was being tossed into a cell in the intensive treatment center. As soon as I got my bearings about me I looked up and noticed a ginger haired man with large, round glasses lying on the bottom bunk, reading a thick book of what looked like…phobias?

He barely glanced up at me when the door slammed shut, simply continuing onto turning a page of his book. I could tell he was going to be fun to room with.

I brushed myself off awkwardly and looked around for a few seconds before offering my hand to the other man.

"Jervis Tetch."

He did nothing for a few moments, and then a long, slender hand took mine and firmly shook it.

"Doctor Jonathan Crane." As soon as this was stated the hand was withdrawn and went back to the pages of his book.

I sighed and climbed on the top bunk for a good, long pity session until I went to sleep.

Mornings in the asylum were hectic I soon found out. Crane didn't wake up very well at all which was quite strange. He could wake up at least an hour before everyone else, at six thirty and be quite awake for breakfast, but on days that he slept in, if anyone dared touch him, they would get a threat along the lines of

"Never touch me again or feel the Master of Fear's wrath by hand of his scythe."

It was times like these that I understood why he was in here in the first place because other than that he seemed a bit unfeeling, but normal.

About a week in, I was in the recreation room when the Joker was in a particularly bad mood. He didn't know when to let sleeping dogs lie apparently.

"What are you in here for anyway Hattie?" needless to say I didn't like the nickname at all.

"I'd rather not talk about it." I replied stiffly.

"Awwww," the Joker put on a pouty face "Is someone cranky today?" he crawled closer to me on the rock like sofa with a truly evil grin on his face.

"Leave him alone, he hasn't done anything to you." Crane's face looked about as compassionate as a brick but it was still a comfort to know he held some kind of compassion in his stick thin body.

"What's the matter Jonny? Straw up your ass?"

Crane didn't even twitch an eyelid to signify that and of the Joker's words had gotten through to him.

The Joker huffed out of boredom and went to bother the Riddler with riddles that made no sense whatsoever.

"T-thank you." I muttered shyly to Crane.

He nodded and picked up his book, continuing on the well worn pages.

"Riddle me this Nygma! What is black and white and red all over?"

Nygma gave him a withering look as if to say 'seriously?'

The Joker cracked up and screamed at the top of his lungs "A tampon!"

Poison Ivy gave him a look that could have made trees die and shrivel up.

I rolled my eyes and went to read over Jonathan's shoulder in hopes of finding what was so interesting about that damn book!


End file.
